Have You Filed Yet? How Did You Do It?

Good morning. As I write this I am in the hotel's business center, before getting my last "free breakfast." I ducked in here, because the copy of the USA Today that the hotel provided, had an interesting article. An article that was particularly relevant to today.

As most of my American readers know, today is Tax Day. That means, if you haven't already done so, you have until midnight, tonight (April 15) to get those taxes in the mail. However, the news is reporting today, don't procrastanate. Many post offices that have stayed open late, in past years, will close at regular times this year. It's all part budgetary constraints of the current economy. However, that's not what I am here to write about.

According to the USA Today (Wednsday, April 15, 2009) more taxpayers are filing solo. That is, they are doing their tax prparation theirselves.

H & R Block, the nations largest tax preparation company is reporting they have prepared 6% fewer tax returns this year. However, sales of their online and desktop software rose 22% of last year (figures as of March 15).

Jackson Hewitt, the country's 2nd largest such company also reported fewer tax returns prepared. Their own self forecast
is to be down 12%-13% in 2009.

However, as alluded to above software programs and online services have seen a dramatic increase. TurboTax, which is probably the best known of the tax software programs out there, reported sales were 10% through March 14. However, that ws mainly through its online sales that was up 41%. It's desktop sales fell 12%.

So how about you? Did you use a preparer? Or did you do your own taxes? Or have you waited until the last minute?

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